The present invention relates generally to processing of semiconductor wafers in a plurality of processing systems. More specifically, it relates to automatically monitoring the operation of such processing systems.
Generally, the industry of semiconductor manufacturing involves highly complex techniques for fabricating integrating circuits from semiconductor materials that are layered and patterned onto a substrate, such as silicon, by various process systems. For example, a first process system deposits a layer of material, while another process system etches a pattern in such deposited material.
Each process system includes an interface for inputting a recipe for controlling the process. The recipe generally includes a plurality of setpoints that each specifies an operating parameter value for a particular device of the process system. For example, a setpoint for a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) system may specify a gas flow value for a particular flow control component in the CVD system. Other types of devices may include valves, lifts, pedestals, indexers, robots for wafer handling, etc. These devices are given a particular command for performing an action so as to reach a specified setpoint, and the device then automatically performs such action.
It is often desirable to monitor an operating parameter of a process device to determine whether it has reached a specified setpoint. The problem with providing such a monitoring scheme is that the particulars of a recipe, such as setpoint, are often proprietary. That is, a user of a process system may set up the process system with a proprietary recipe and then not wish the recipe setpoints to be output from the process system, for example, for monitoring purposes by a third party, such as the process system support personnel.
Accordingly, it would be beneficial to provide a mechanism for monitoring the operation of a process system without requiring knowledge of the recipe setpoints or any other proprietary information.